Porrada USA - A journaling app for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Overview

This freelance project was an opportunity I had given to me by an iOS developer who was building an app for a new business. The developer has all the skills to build an app, but recognized the value I brought to the table as a UX designer. We collaborated throughout the whole process to create a really innovative app to help practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu keep a journal that is quick and easy to use during class.

Research

In my research, I needed to know what the client wanted from the app, and then I started looking to see what was available, in both digital and physical form. Journaling is an important part of learning BJJ, but it’s usually done with a plain notebook, which is convenient, but cumbersome and arduous when you’re trying to describe how to perform a move. Suddenly, what is easily seen is now lengthy and difficult to write out in a way that makes sense (both now and later!). There are some options of physical journals that are tailored specifically for BJJ that was imperative that I look at during this stage.

As for digital journals, there are a lot of virtual learning apps that do a great job of teaching a move through video. But finding something that is meant for record-keeping was a challenge.

After studying these examples, I put together a small presentation of my findings to deliver to the stakeholders. It showed what’s out there, and highlighted the pros and cons of each app and format. It really helped pave the road for them to see what I had in mind for getting started, and why I was designing things the way I was. The best part? They loved the presentation and were so impressed at how thorough and thoughtful it was. I love wowing the stakeholders!

Ok, so here’s the deal. I had this idea in my head from the beginning. I really liked it. It was clean, it provided visual cues to separate the steps (with a nod to the belts and stripes on belts). I really liked the way it looked. And when I presented it to the client, they didn’t have anything negative to say about it. But as the app was being built, little comments started coming in: “What if we had a knotted belt instead of the lines?”, “Could we use this instead of that?”, etc. It soon became clear, they wanted something different. They had pitched a few ideas (some that really made me cringe, but I kept it diplomatic!), sent over some graphics they’d had made up, and I was able to tweak it here and there and ended up with something they really loved.

It was such a great reminder that I’m not the one with the final say, no matter how much I like my idea. Ultimately, it’s the stakeholders who get what they want. And I don’t hold onto my ideas as being so precious that I can’t let go of them.

Prototyping

Once I redesigned the aesthetics of the app, and got it where the stakeholders liked the look of it, I worked to get the prototype in working order. This was a great opportunity to stretch my understanding on how to get certain features to work in Figma. Thank goodness for video tutorials! I know I don’t know everything there is to know about Figma, but I do not shy away from using resources available to me to find and learn the answer. If you’d like to see the interactive prototype in action, you can click here.

Conclusion

I was able to meet my goals with this project, and the clients ended up pleased with the end product. I was able to work with a developer to build the app, and it was a peak into the full process of building an app from scratch.

The best part is there is a lot of room for growth and expansion in this project. The app has a lot of potential to offer more than just logging moves, and I’m excited to add on to it in the future.

Goal

The primary goal was to create an app for a new business that allows people to keep a record of moves they learn in class, and be able to do so quickly and easily during class. They are then able to revisit the entries and add details or just review the moves. The secondary goal was to create something that is easily navigable when you only a brief moment to build the move, all while looking good, of course.

Analysis

With this app being a new concept, and since we were just working to get an MVP version out to start with, I looked at the research as being a guide for what the app could be down the road, once we add more features. The bare bones—what the clients were looking to get up and running for the planned release date—was pretty straightforward.

Design